Manufacture of playing-balls.



No. 700,659. Patented May '20, |902.

' E. KEMPSHALL.

MANUFACTURE 0F PL-AYING BALLS.

.Application med nar. 27, 1902.)

(No Model.)

jas/2 yzs/g'tfaney l l I l THE NOHFIS ETKRS OO. PHOTO-DYMO.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

.bloW or impulse.

ELEAZER KEMPSI-IALL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE KEMPSIIALL MANUFACTURING JERSEY.

OMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW MANUFACTUREOF PLAYING-BALLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of I iettersv Application filed March 27,1902.

To @Z whom it may Concern,.-

Be it known that I, ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, a Citizen of the United States, residing in Bos-fton, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacturev of Playing-Balls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of playing-balls; and it Consists,substantially, in the improvements hereinafter more particularly described.

The invention has reference more especially to golf and similar'playing balls, though applicable to the construction of balls employed in games ofotherkinds; and one of the objects of the invention is to provide a ball of this character which may be propelled a long distance under apoWerful impulse, as When struck by a stick' or implement in the hands of the operator, but which Will not be highly active under a comparatively light A further object is to provide a playingball of the character referred to which is of maximum integrity and strength.

` Figure l is a part sectional view of a playing-ball, illustrating my invention; and Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, are part sectional views indetail, representing the successive stepsof. application of the alternating spherical laminze of Celluloid or analogous material and a suitable fibrous materiahthere being an'omission of views intermediate the third and final steps of such application. Fig. 6 isa sectional vieW indicating one means Which mayv be employed to complete the ball after application of the final lamina of the outer shell thereof.

In constructing or manufacturing my improved playing-ball I employ therefor a solid core or filling of any suitable material of preferably a iexible and elastic character, such as india-rubber or gutta-percha, which core is also preferablyspherical in form and of comparatively large dimensions proportionate to the diameter ofthe completed ball. The structure of the ballis completedby an outer shell comprisinggalternating spherical laminze of a hard resistantV substance, such ball.

Patent No. 700,659, dated May 20, 1902.

Serial No, 100,226. (No model.)

as Celluloid and fibrous material, the latter preferably consisting of textile fabric of open mesh. In the present case I first render celluloid or `other analogous substance soft or plastic, so;as to be capable of being taken up by an ordinary brush or dauber, for instance, and I' applyT directly to the surface of the core or filling of the bail a sufficiently-thick lamina of such substance, which is seasoned or allowed topartiallyharden, whereupon I then apply to said'lamina alamina of fibrous material in any suitable way. Upon the said lamina offibrous materialI novir apply another Celluloid lamina inthe same Way as the first, thenk onto this second Celluloid lamina anotherlamina of fibrous material, and so 0n for any desired number of the said alternating laminae according to the predetermined depth or thicknessof the outer shell of the Finally and as thus constructed I place the ball between heated finishing-dies and subject the same t0 pressure, whereupon the interstices or pores of the fibrous laminas become filled up by penetration of the material of the Celluloid laminae, and thus is a ball provided the material of the outer shell of which is practically homogeneous and which may be said to comprise concentric 4spherical strata of intersecting veins formed by the textile or other fibers. This construction of` shell has beenfound to possess integrity and strength and is advantageous for .the reasons already furnished.

Specific reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings by the designating Charac- `ters marked thereon, A represents my presentfimproved ball in entirety or as a Whole, the same comprisinga Core or filling 1 of suitable material, preferably elastic in character,

land also preferably spherical, said core or filling being of comparatively large diameter proportionate to the diameter of the completed ball, although the same may vary in size, according to the predetermined depth or thickness of the outer shell 2 of the ball. The said outer shell preferably consists of alterl nating spherical laminae ot' a substance', as Celluloid, and a fibrous materialt, as permeable cloth of open mesh, 'substantially -Aas shown, the said laminzeof Celluloidor anal- IOO ogou's substance being successively applied while in a soft or plastic condition by means of a brush or dauber or in any other suitable Way. In someinstances I make the exterior surface of the outermost lamina of the outer shell preferably smooth or even; but to better adapt the ball to the purposes of the golfgame I preferably indent such surface or form the same of a brambled or pebbled character, as indicated at 5, Fig. l.

In forming the outer shell upon the core or filling l I first apply directly to the surface of the latter a soft or plastic lamina of the celluloid or analogous substance 3, to which in turn I apply a lamina of the fibrous material 4, the said first-named lamina being then partially hardened or seasoned, preferably from without and either by artificial means or merely by ordinary cooling. I then apply "to said lamina of fibrous material another lamina of the celluloid substance in the same way, and so on, as already explained,`after which the Whole mass or structure is subjected to pressure in the heated finishing-dies 1,0 and l2, and While under such pressure parts of the celluloid laminte are forced into the interstices or meshes of the fibrous laminte. Thus the outer shell may be said to constitute spherical strata of intersecting veins of different diameters, and a comparatively homogenous character is imparted to the entire shell due to a sort of interlocking engagement which takes place between the finelydivided portions of adjacent celluloid lami' me, which are forced through the interstices or meshes of the cloth laminae from both directions, the effect of which is to prevent circum ferential or lateral displacement of either of the laminae of which the saidouter shell of the ball may be constituted. Variations ofthe structure of my improved ball may be adopted Without departure from my invention.

Having described my invention, I claiml. The process herein described of making playing-balls, which consists in applying in alternation laminas of plastic and fibrous materials to asuitable core, causing said plastic material to season or harden upon the ball, and finally completing the ball by compression.

2. The process herein described of making playing-balls, Which consists in applying in alternation laminas of plastic and fibrous materials to a suitable core, seasoning each of said plastic laminas before the next fibrous lamina is applied, and finally compressing the structure.

3. A process in producing a playing-ball, consisting in coatinga yielding core with celluloid solution, hardening said coating, and applying thereto a lamina of fibrous material.

4. A process in producing a playing-ball, consisting in coating a yielding core with celluloid solution, hardening said coating, applying thereto a lamina of fibrous material, subjecting the core thus formed to heat and compression, and maintaining the compression while the shell cools.

5. A process in producing a playing-ball, consisting in applying to a previously-formed sphere a lamina of fibrous material coating said lamina With celluloid solution, hardening said coating, subjecting the ball thus formed to heat and compression, and maintaining the compression while the shell cools.

A process in producing a playing-ball, consisting in applying to a core in alternation laminas of fabric and laminae of material in a plastic condition,allowing each plastic lamina to harden before applying the next lamina, and then compressing and heating the Whole.

7. A process in producing a playing-ball,

consisting in applying successive layers ot" celluloid alternating With fabric upon a core, said celluloid being applied in plastic condition and hardened or seasoned upon the ball, and then subjecting said layers to simultaneous pressure and heat, and maintaining the pressure until the celluloid hardens.

8. A process in making a playing-ball, consisting in applying to a core, a plurality of layers one after' another of fluid or plastic material, hardening one layer before another is applied,alternating said layers with laminze of fabric, subjecting the Whole to heat and compression, and maintaining the compression While the shell cools.

ELEAZER KEMPsI-IALL.

Vitne'sses: y

B. C. STICKNEY, WM. H. DE LACY, JOHN O. SEIFERT. 

